An international research team identified global hotspots that should be the highest priority for soil nature conservation planning, to minimize adverse impacts on the ecosystems.
The study, published in Nature on Wednesday, indicated that the ecological value of soil is often overlooked in policy decision-making and nature conservation planning, as current conservation policies always focus on plants and animals.
According to co-author and distinguished Professor Brajesh Singh from Western Sydney University's Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, soil's profound impact such as the vital role in the creation of food for human consumption is often overlooked. To better conserve soil ecological values, it is vital to know where their protection is needed most.
To find out the hotspots, the study surveyed over 10,000 observations of biodiversity and indicators of ecosystem services within 615 soil samples from all continents, assessing three soil ecological factors, including local species richness, biodiversity uniqueness and ecosystem services, such as water regulation and carbon storage.
"Half of the hotspots we have identified in the research are currently not under any form of nature conservation. Prioritizing the soil in these areas needs to be crucial in policy making, as the impact soil has on the broader environment is profound," said Singh.
"Notably, Australian ecosystems are particularly vulnerable, with 75 percent of the continent defined as 'drylands' with the soils being largely nutrient-poor."
He said the study provides scientific support for action on conserving soil biodiversity for the maintenance of ecosystem services such as climate regulation.
The research recommended the implementation of a policy-framework that explicitly includes the conservation of soil biodiversity, which is critical for minimizing the impact of global changes on ecosystem services, agriculture productivity and restoring degraded environment.
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